4Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. (De 9:4; Ro 11:6)

5And to the one who does not work but believes in1 him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, (Joh 6:29; Ro 3:22)

6just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works:

7“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; (Ps 32:1)

8blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.” (2Co 5:19)

9Is this blessing then only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? For we say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness. (Ro 3:30; Ro 4:3)

10How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised.

11He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well, (Ge 17:10; Lu 19:9; Ro 3:22; Ro 4:12; Ro 4:16)

12and to make him the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

16That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, (Ro 3:24; Ro 9:8; Ro 15:8; Ga 3:22)

17as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. (Ge 17:5; Joh 5:21; Ro 4:18; 1Co 1:28; Heb 11:3; Heb 11:19)

18In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.” (Ge 15:5)

19He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness2 of Sarah’s womb. (Ge 17:17; Ge 18:11; Heb 11:12)

20No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God,